Projectile



Feb. 6, 1923. 1,444,335

J. L. cox

PROJECTILE FILED JUNE 1 1920 M VEIVTOR mm/sss: FIG 4 J A 6 M 0 i2 0% @W ft/fi Patented Feb. 6, 1923.

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scan L. 033., OF PHiLADELlHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

@ROJECTILE.

Application filed inns 1, 1920. serial Ito. 385,474.

To all whom. it may conccm.'

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. Cox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelp hia, county of Philadelphia, and State of ennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Projectiles, of which the followm is a full, clear, and exact de= scription, reference being had to the accom= panying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In the attack of thick armor by armor= piercin projectiles it is found, as theangle of inci ence of the projectiles axis with the normal to the plate s surface increases from zero to twent de recs (the greatest angle at which cali re iick, modern hard-faced armor plates are regularly pierced today Without destruction of the projectile), that the transverse stresses u on the body of the projectile increase rapily and soon reach a point which the steel is unable to res1st, even in the highly treated condition usually employed in projectiles, and rupture oc= curs. 'Io increase the resistance of shells to such stresses and other stresses and shocks is the object of my pending applications, Serial No. 311,325, filed July 16, 1919, and Serial No. 375,426, filed April 22, 1919.

As the angle of penetration increases be= yond twent degrees the conditions are still harder, an it is necessary to adopt other measures to prevent the breaking off of the base of the projectile, which generally occurs through the forward undercut of the band score. The revention of this action is the obect of the resent invention.

hen an lnclined impact occurs on an armor plate the arrest of the tangential component of the motion of the projectiles point with relation to the plates surface causes the projectile to tend to right itself and produce perforation normal to the surface. At high angles the righting is only partial; the projecti e takes a diagonal path, and on emerging upon the opposite side tends further to right itself, increasing the before mentioned heav transverse stresses upon its body near the ass. This pressure s suf ficient to cold-draw out, for one and onequarter inch or more, the rear corner of the projectiles body. Were the pressure re moved, transverse fracture of the rearbody would not occur.

My invention consists in fashioning the exterior portion of the projectiles body adacent to the base, of a separate ring of metal, so formed as readily to detach itself upon unilateral pressure at the rear and thus reduce the diameter of the'projectiles base and permit partial righting of the shell ablout a transverse axis tangential to one si e.

The detachable ring should have an external contour the same as that of the external Wall of the corresponding part of a standard shell, but the inner wall of the ring and the rear of the projectiles body beneath the rmg should taper toward the base. The ring may extend from the base for a variable distance toward the point but preferably at least as far as the band score. The theoretical form of this taper is an ogival and this form. may be em loyed, but in practice it is generally preferable to use chiefly a tangent to this curve; or an approximation to the curve may be made by ofi'se-ts, tan gents and offsets, or in any other convenient Xttachment of the ring to the projectiles body may be made by screw threads, b a shrinkage fit, by pinning, or in any ot er convenient manner.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the projectile.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through th rear of a projectile from the axis to one outer wall, one embodiment of my invention being shown. v

Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, of another embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a View, similar to Figs. 2 and 3, but across the entire diameter, of another embodiment.

The body of the shell a is provided with the usual band 6. In Fig. 2 the exterior portion of the projectile body from the bandscore to the base comprises a ring c. The inner end of this ring is screw-threaded to the projectile body at d and abuts against a shoulder a on the body and the lower edge of the band 6, which, preferably, extends slightly beyond the shoulder e, as shown. From the lower end of the screw thread toward the base of the projectile, the pro'ectile body and the close fitting inner wa of the ring is tapered, as at f, toward the axis of the projectile and to a point close to the base.

In Fig. 3 h represents the projectile bod i the band and j the detachable rin 11 this construction, the taper is forme of a series of offsets m connected one with another by slight tapers n, and the ring has a shrmkage fit onthe projectile body.

In Fig. 4 0 represents the projectile body, 32 the band and 1' the ring, wh1ch, 1n th1s construction, is secured to the projectile body by pins 8. The shape of t e taper 1s an ogival, the center of the radius of longitudinal curvature along any are :0 being a point 3/ on the projectile diametrically opposite such are, but forward thereof, preferably near the center of the band score, as shown in the figure. p

The embodiments of my invention shown and described are only illustrative, my invention not being limited to the specific de-.

tails shown.

Havin now fully described my invention, what c aim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1..- A projectile comprising a body having its rear end open to receive the base plug, a

band surrounding and contacting with thebody, the body behind and partly beneath the band being of reduced diameter, a separable base ring surrounding the body hehind and partly beneath the band and conforming on its outer surface approximately to the normal form of the rear of a projectile body, and means securing the base ring to the body rendering the ring detachable on impact, whereby on high angular impact against an armor plate with resultant detachment of the ring and reduction in diameter of the base, the projectile may partially right itself about a transverse axis tangential to one side and thereby avoid rupture of the projectile at the base.

2. A projectile comprising a body having its rear end open to receive a: base plug, a band surrounding and contactin with the body, the bodybehind and part y beneath the band being of reduced diameter, the reduced diameter portion being further contracted in diameter toward the base, a separable base ring surrounding the body behind and partly beneath the band and conforming on its outer surface approximately to the normal form of the rear of a projectile body, and means securing the base ring to the body rendering the base ring detachable on im act.

3. projectile comprising a body having its rear end open to receive the base plug, a

band surrounding and contacting with the body, the body behind and partly beneath the band being of reduced diameter, the reduced diameter portion being tapered toward thebase, a base ring surrounding the body behind and partly beneath the band, abutting walls of said ring and bod being tapered inward toward the base, an means securing the base ring to the body for only a part of its length rendering the base ring detachable on impact.

51. A projectile comprising a body having its rear end open to receive the base plug, a band, the body, from beneath the rearward portion of the band, rearwardly, bein in part of a reduced diameter, and in part 0 a substantially tapered form, and a separable ring conforming on a portion of its interior surface substantially to the form of the rear of the projectiles body and on its exterior surface to the normal form of the rear of the projectiles body, including therein a portion of the band score, said ring being shaped to leave thebase plug opening unobstructed so as to permit the application of the ring and band independently of the 1 body, a rotating band, and a separa le frangible base ring, the seat for the band bein partly formed in the metal of the projecti e body and partly in the metal of the frangible base ring, the outer contour of the base ring forming part of the ordinary contour of the projectile, whilev the inner contour is in part of substantially tapered form with the smaller diameter towards the base of the projectile, the body of the projectile being substantially in contact with thering throughout the length of the ring.

6. An armor piercing projectile comprising a body having its rear end open to receive the base plug, a rotating band and a separable base ring, the rear end of the body provided with a seat having a rearwardly facing shoulder and a portion of reduced diameter, said ring surrounding the body for atleast that portion of the length of the body to the rear of the band and abutting against said shoulder and positively prevented from forward movement, said ring being frangibly secured to the body for only a portion of that part of the length of the body which it surrounds and conforming on its outer surface to the normal exterior contour of the projectile, said ring being shaped of reduced diameter, said ring surrounding the body throughout that portion of the length of the body to the rear of the band and extending also within the band seat and abutting against said shoulder and positively prevented from forward movement,

said ring being frangibly secured to the body and conforming on its outer surface to the normal exterior contour of the projectile.

In testimony of Which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pa., on this 29th day of May, 1920.

- JOHN L. COX. 

